Switched

As indicated this spring, Oregon LNG, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) import project proposed for the mouth of the Columbia River at Warrenton, OR, has switched to a bidirectional import-export project, filing with FERC to do so and signing an agreement with Williams’ Northwest Pipeline Co. to expand the capacity of lines bringing Canadian gas into the Pacific Northwest.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is consolidating three of its wastewater permits to encourage liquid waste recycling from oil and natural gas drilling, and to reduce water withdrawals.

In Georgia’s retail natural gas market about 15% of customers switched suppliers over the last year, and over the next 12 months another 15% will be in play, according to J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Georgia Retail Gas Provider Satisfaction Study.

Louisiana’s Lt. Gov. Scott Angelle Tuesday announced that he has switched his party affiliation to Republican from Democrat — a decision that was largely motivated by what he sees as the Democrats’ dislike of the oil and natural gas industry in general, and the imposition of the blanket moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico specifically.

With natural gas storage at the end of the winter heating season considerably lower than expected, the natural gas bears at Raymond James & Associates Inc. have switched sides and are again running with the bulls through 2008. Two other energy analysts also raised their gas price forecasts through the rest of the year.

With natural gas storage at the end of the winter heating season considerably lower than expected, the natural gas bears at Raymond James & Associates Inc. have switched sides and are again running with the bulls through 2008. Two other energy analysts also raised their gas price forecasts through the rest of the year.

Traders watched in awe Thursday morning as the sizeable year-over-year storage surplus, which stood at 400+ Bcf just four short weeks ago, switched to a 26 Bcf deficit following the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 224 Bcf withdrawal report for the week ended Feb. 2. Although trading a fairly tight range, March natural gas futures zig-zagged on Thursday, putting in a low of $7.710 and a high of $7.935 before settling at $7.871, up 16.2 cents from Wednesday.

Excess capacity will grow for years to come on Canadian natural gas pipelines even if some of the space is switched to oil shipping, TransCanada PipeLines says in an application to make a prompt start on making a partial conversion of its system.

Most northern Illinois consumers who switched natural gas suppliers are paying on average about $172 more over the life of the offer in utility costs, according to an analysis by the nonprofit state utility watchdog Citizens Utility Board (CUB).